Luxury Painting Holiday inKyoto, Japan 2019

Luxury Autumn Tour includes:Feature artist Cathy Shugg mixed media & painting tutor. Discount Offersare available when you join a group - see our Booking Form below for details.Luxury Hotel Accommodation in overlooking the Kamo river close to entertainment shopping and tourist areas.3 nights stay in Fully renovated Traditional Town House with private facilities. (Prepayment is required when you book)Daily breakfastSome lunches per our itineraryNight Walking Tour of the infamous Gion district with our guide.All painting excursionsRegular tuitionRegular critiques.Luxury Limousine bus transfer to and from the airport and meet and greet by our guide can be booked ahead. Transport by taxi, bus, train or tram to painting locations.Transport to the various Gardens, temples galleries and places of interest featured in the itinerary.One day in the tea fields sketching. White water rafting experience at Mt ArashiyamaVisit the Bamboo ForestTour of the Famous Nishiki Market in central KyotoWalk the Philosopher's TrailBi-lingual tour guideWelcome and Farewell dinners.​

Holiday Reviews

"I had a great trip to Japan many years ago and was looking forward to this trip. This was the best Art Holiday I have been on.Glen At Painting Holidaysand our extraordinaire Artist/TutorCraig Pennymade it an adventure to remember" ... Judy

"Had an amazing time thanks toGlen At PaintingHolidays; our Hotel was beautiful, our amazing guide Mayumi organised our time with Craig and the many adventures very well.​" ... Meredith

"Congratulations and sincere thanks 🙏 to Glen At PaintingHolidays and Craig Penny our talented Artist/Tutor for the memorable, interesting and fun filled 10 days in Kyoto - painting, sightseeing and exploring the wonderful mountain temples, gardens and white water rafting was a fantastic surprise adventure day out"... Greg

Itinerary Insights

Temples, Shrines & GardensThere are said to be over 1000 Buddhist temples in Kyoto. You’ll find true masterpieces of religious architecture, such as the retina-burning splendour of Kinkaku-ji (the famed Golden Pavilion) and the cavernous expanse of ﻿Higashi Hongan-ji﻿. Within the temple precincts are some of the world’s most sublime gardens, from the Zen masterpiece at Ryōan-ji to the riotous paradise of moss and blossoms at Saihō-ji. And then there are the Shintō shrines, monuments to Japan’s indigenous faith. The mother of all shrines, Fushimi-Inari-Taisha, has mesmerising arcades of vermillion torii (shrine gates) spread across a mountainside.

CuisineFew cities of this size offer such a range of excellent restaurants. Work your way through the entire spectrum of Japanese food, from impossibly refined cuisine known as kaiseki to hearty plebeian fare like rāmen. There’s also a wide range of French, Italian and Chinese restaurants, where the famed Japanese attention to detail is paired with local ingredients to yield fantastic results. Best of all, many of Kyoto’s restaurants are in traditional wooden buildings, where you can gaze over intimate private gardens while you eat.

The Japanese Way of LifeWhile the rest of Japan has adopted modernity with abandon, the old ways are hanging on in Kyoto. Take a morning stroll through the textile district of Nishijin and watch the old Kyoto ladies emerge from their machiya (traditional townhouses) to ladle water onto their stoops. Visit an old shōtengai (shopping street) and admire the ancient speciality shops: tofu sellers, fishmongers, pickle vendors and tea merchants. Then join the locals at a local sentō (public bath) to soak away the cares of the day.(Introduction by Lonely Planet)

NEW for 2019 - We begin our holiday staying 3 nights in a Traditional Wooden Townhouse (Machiya)Beautifully renovated these Machiya have all the modern amenities and are also a wonderful introduction to a traditional life style.

Our First day in KyotoToday we start out with a walking tour of Nishiki Market in central Kyoto. A great market to explore with our guide. We stop along the way to see and hear a bit about a local Shinto Shrine before heading off for a coffee break. Our artist takes us sketching and painting along the riverbanks of the Kamo river until early afternoon before we head back to the hotel. Around 6pm we meet up with our guide for a Night Tour of the famous Gion District through the alleyways and bar district of the once infamous riverside accommodation and entertainment area.

Philosopher's Walk & The Silver PavillionThe hills to the east of the city have a rich heritage and we start with a walk through the preserved buildings and market streets on our way to The Silver Pavillion. A temple with a long history, beautifully preserved, gorgeous autumn gardens.Close by is the starting point of The Philosophers Walk a gentle down hill 1+ klms of local houses, shrines, forest, people and gardens as we follow the water canal back towards Kyoto city that we can glimpse in the distance. We stop to sketch and paint, visit shrines and back streets and stopping off for lunch and coffee or tea along the way.

FushimiSumi-E Calligraphy class is an OPTION you should consider. Our instructor Saori provides a workshop in traditional Japanese style calligraphy in her studio. We stay and meet there for lunch before visiting the famous Fushimi Shinto Shrine which extends way back into the hills behind the township. Fushimi is famous for its retina burning orange "Torii Gates" that line many pathways.

There is a lot to see and do and we are sketching and painting most days. The temples and shrines at these times of year are very busy so we tour and don't stop to sketch in these locations. Our artist's workshop in the tea fields is an amazing day out where we spend time sketching, painting and meeting a local artist at his studio. Most days our artist will have a sketching or painting adventure for us to indulge in with support and tuition as required. Our artist may offer up a demonstration of how they artistically tackle a scene.

OPTIONSOur itinerary offers a wide range of experiences. Some nights and days we choose to offer added adventures to indulge in while you are here. The Night Life Dining Adventure continues on from the Gion District alleyways tour and there are more OPTIONS to discover. You can book these OPTIONS before you arrive in Kyoto or when you arrive. Places are limited in high seasons.

Our AccommodationWe start with 3 nights in a beautifully renovated wooden townhouse or Machiya to experience a traditional way of life.We then transfer to our 5 STAR Luxury Hotel overlooking the Kamo Reap river in central Kyoto. It is easy walking distance to the city center, dining, shopping, entertainment and transport. The hotel has a large indoor pool, Spa Treatments, beauty and massage with award winning restaurants and bars. Visit our Accommodation page - Add early arrivals or extra nights>

Weather in Kyoto Autumn in November has very stable weather with 14 to 26C and can be a little bit humid at times. Sunny days, very little rain and cool nights make Kyoto a great place to be in November.

By submitting this form I acknowledge and accept the Terms and Conditions as stated on this website. A 7 day "cooling off period" applies to all bookings where no cancellation fees apply. All rates are AUD$ and may be subject to change. Rates include accommodation, tour costs and some meals per the itinerary. Airfares, art materials, insurances are not included in the rates. The latest itinerary provides you with a detailed list of inclusions.​​Booking Confirmation & Itinerary.​We will send you our current itinerary with confirmation when we receive your Holiday Booking. ​​​"Join a Group" offers a discount for payment of a percentage of the booking as your Booking Deposit.*Some accommodation inclusions require prepayment to accept a booking. This payment is not refundable where it is a condition of booking. This prepayment will be included as required on your invoice/statement.